This interview is part of the Institute's "Conversations with History" series, and uses Internet technology to share with the public Berkeley's distinction as a global forum for ideas.

Welcome to a Conversation with History.
I'm Harry Kreisler of the Institute of International Studies. Our guest today is Charles Townes. Charles Townes won the Nobel Prize for his role in the invention of the maser and the laser. He is currently a professor in the graduate school at the University of California at Berkeley. He is also recently the author of a book, How the Laser Happened: Adventures of a Scientist.